Car Insurance Claim Process: Steps to File a Claim

Understanding the car insurance claim process can help you increase your chances of approval when filing a claim and save you time — and frustration — when you find yourself needing to tap into your coverage.

Steps to start a claim include possibly contacting the police after an accident, opening a case with your insurer, collecting as much information as possible, and submitting everything your insurance company asks for. Following your policy's reporting requirements and providing complete, accurate information can help prevent delays or complications, but payment ultimately depends on your coverage and the circumstances of the loss. This means filling out claim forms correctly and sending required information — typically photos and a police report — within the provided time frames.

We'll walk you through the auto insurance claim process by showing you how to file a claim, what to expect after you submit one, and what to do if your claim is denied.

An insurance claim is a request for an insurer to provide coverage or payment for a loss covered by a policy. In the case of a car accident, this often involves asking for compensation to help cover car repairs.

Whether your provider offers compensation for your claim depends on whether the incident is covered under your policy and whether you file the claim correctly.

Read more: What Car Insurance Covers - And What It Doesn't

Use these step-by-step instructions to file an insurance claim:

If you're involved in a car accident and you're planning to file an insurance claim, it pays to get the police involved. This is because a police report contains important information regarding the accident your insurer may need.

This information often includes the date, time, location of the incident, and may include the officer's observations, statements from the drivers and witnesses, diagrams, and any citations issued.

Having this information available could help speed up the claims process because your insurance provider will likely want to know specific details about the accident.

Depending on the circumstances, you may file a claim with your own insurer or the other driver's insurer. Even if you pursue the other driver's coverage, notify your insurer promptly and follow your policy's reporting requirements. Try and complete this step as quickly as you can after an accident occurs, even from the scene of the accident if possible.

Of course, always make sure everyone is safe and taken care of before making an insurance claim. As soon as you are able, call your insurance company or start the claims process through a mobile app.

After you've initiated the claim process, you should have a better idea of what information your insurance company is going to need. This could include filling out a claim form with a description of the incident, as well as sending photos of the damage.

Most insurance companies want as much information as possible. Missing or incomplete information could delay the claim. Cooperate with reasonable requests from the insurer and ask which documents or evidence it needs.

If you're safe and everyone else involved is safe, start recording information as soon as you're able to after an accident happens. Here are a few things you should collect:

• Date, time, and location of the accident
• Weather, road, and any other conditions at the time of the accident
• Names, phone numbers, and driver's license numbers of every driver involved
• Insurance information of every driver involved (you can usually find policy numbers on insurance cards)
• Contact information of any witnesses
• License plate and vehicle identification numbers of involved vehicles
• A police report, including the names and badge numbers of reporting police officers
• Photos of the damage and accident scene

After you've reviewed your insurance provider's claim process and requirements, it's time to submit your claim. Make sure you've included all the necessary information and verify that it's all correct — then submit your claim.

You can often submit car insurance claims through an online account with your insurance company. This might mean signing into your account through the company's website or mobile app.

In general, we suggest filing a car insurance claim when:

• You're involved in a major accident that's going to require extensive repairs or replacement due to a total loss of your vehicle.
• You damage another vehicle.
• There are injuries involved, which could result in medical bills and other medical expenses.

Should you start a claim after every car accident? From a purely financial perspective, likely not. This is primarily because of how car insurance works.

Many types of car insurance coverage come with a deductible, which is the required amount of money you have to pay toward a claim. It's common for your deductible to be subtracted from your compensation amount on a successful claim, which basically means that you'll pay a portion of expenses every time you file a claim, and your insurance company will pay the rest.

If your insurer determines that a covered loss under your own collision coverage totals $5,000 and you have a $500 deductible, the insurer would generally pay $4,500, for example.

Another important thing to consider with car insurance is how claims can affect your insurance premiums — the amount you pay for insurance each month. In general, submitting a claim increases the chances that your insurance premiums will go up in the future since insurers use your driving record as a major factor in determining your car insurance rates.

You might consider paying out of pocket when only your own vehicle has minor damage and the repair cost is at or below your deductible. If another person, vehicle, or property is involved, report the accident to your insurer even if the damage initially appears minor. We suggest possibly avoiding going through the car insurance claim process if:

• You cause a small amount of vehicle damage to your own car or a small amount of property damage.
• The repairs will cost the same or less than your deductible.
• The cost of increased premiums will be more than repair costs at a repair shop.

For damage limited to your own vehicle, compare the estimated repair cost with your deductible and consider whether filing a claim could affect your rates or claims history.

It's a bit of a waiting game after you file a claim to see whether the claim is approved or denied. Claim timelines vary by state, insurer, coverage, and complexity. Straightforward claims may be resolved relatively quickly, while claims involving injuries, disputed fault, or extensive damage can take much longer.

After filing, you may need to provide additional records, make the vehicle available for inspection, document expenses, or answer the adjuster's questions.

For example, you might have an insurance adjuster or insurance agent assigned to your case to determine whether your claim warrants compensation. If it does, how much compensation your claim warrants. 

You'll want to make sure the claims adjuster has all the information they need to give a fair appraisal.

Keep an eye out for phone calls or emails from your insurance company and respond as quickly as you can, especially if they're asking for more information.

It's not necessarily the end of the claim process if your claim is denied. You may be able to challenge the denial by requesting reconsideration and supplying additional evidence. Depending on your policy and state law, you may also have access to appraisal, arbitration, mediation, a regulatory complaint, or legal action.

Here are a few steps to keep in mind if you want to continue the claim process:

1. Understand why your claim was denied. This should have already been spelled out in a claim denial letter from your insurance company, but it doesn't hurt to request more details if you feel like the letter didn't provide enough information.
2. Request information about appeals. If you want to appeal a claim denial, request additional information from your insurance provider about the process.
3. Review the evidence. If the information you've collected about the situation goes against what your insurance provider is saying, use that evidence in your appeal. Mistakes can happen, even from insurance companies, but it's hard to argue with facts.

How does an insurance claim work?

An insurance claim works when you, the policyholder, initiate a claims process with your insurance company. Your claim is your way of asking your insurance company to provide compensation for a covered loss.

The insurance provider then reviews the claim and either offers you a payout or denies your claim.

Is it worth it to file an insurance claim?

Yes, it's worth it to file an insurance claim if the repairs will cost significantly more than your deductible.

However, it may not be worth filing a claim if the repairs will cost close to or less than your deductible. This is because filing an insurance claim could raise your monthly premiums and end up costing you more money over time.

How long after an accident can you file a claim?

How long you have to file a claim after an accident typically depends on where you live and the policies of your car insurance company.

Deadlines vary. Your policy may require prompt notice or proof of loss, state law may establish separate accident-reporting requirements, and a statute of limitations may set the deadline for filing a lawsuit. Report the accident to the insurer as soon as reasonably possible rather than relying on the longer legal deadline.

You can file an auto insurance claim in four simple steps, though the exact process and details likely depend on each situation and insurance provider.

For example, even though some insurance companies might not require a police report to submit a claim, it's often best to have more information available to improve your chances of getting your claim approved.

To make sure you're prepared with top insurance products, use our free and easy tool to find the best car insurance.